Yarn knotter with yarn portion eliminating means



June 8, 1965 A. THO PEscH 3,188,12 5

mm KNOTTER wmx YARN PORTION ELIMINATING MEANS Filed Sept. s, 1965 ram/rm I ca /c:

l l l wvz/vmq ,motm

.operation of the knotter.

.7 Claims. (ill. ass-2 My invention relates to yarn-package winding machines that are equipped with an automatic knotter which, after occurrence of yarn breakage or exchange of the yarn-supply coil, operates to tie the yarn end coming from the supply coil together with the yarn end retrieved from the package being wound. More particularly, my invention relates to an automatic 'yarn knotter having discharge means for eliminating yarn portions from the knotter when a faulty knotting operation occurs.

There are known winding machines of the general type in which a testing device checks the strength of the knotted yarn. The testing device operates, for example,

in such a mannerthat a faulty knot is dissolved or that the yarn, when possessing a spot of greatly reduced strength, is torn at this spot. Thereafter the feeler or sensing member with which such a winding machine is provided responds to the absence of a proper length of yarn'along the path from the supply coil to the takeup spool or package, and thereby initiates a new tying It may happen that when the strength of the knotted yarn is being tested, a yarn remainder will adhere to the knotter and, during the next knotting operation, will either be tied into the new knot and form a double thread, or will entirely prevent the formation of a proper knot.

It is an object of my invention to reliably prevent such occurrences and to always secure proper knotting of no more than two individual yarn ends coming from the supply coil and the take-up spool respectively.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device which will test a knot produced by a knotter and which, if the knot is faulty or of insufiicient strength, will sever or rupture one or both of the yarn ends leading to the knotter or testing device and remove them from the vicinity.

According to my invention, relating to a yarn winding machine with an automatic knotting device and a testing device for supervising the strength of the knotted yarn, I provide normally inactive discharge means for removing yarn ends or any yarn residue from the knotter, the discharge means being actuable by a releasing member which is connected with the yarn-strength testing device so as to operate in response to the testing results.

By virtue of the invention, therefore, the presence of any yarn components within the knotter is prevented when a new knotting operation is to be performed. This avoids not only the above-mentioned disadvantages but also serves the object of obviating the formation of trailing or dragging threads as may occur in automatic winding machines in which a single knotting device is provided for servicing a plurality of winding stations. In such multi-station machines, a relative travel takes place between the servicing unit that contains the knotter, on

the one hand, and the winding stations on the other hand,

United States Patent "ice either the servicing unit, or the group of winding stations or both being displaceably mounted. Such multi-station winding machines are known, for example, from U.S. Patents 3,030,040 of W. Reiners, issued April 17, 1962, 3,033,478 of S. Furst, issued May 8, 1962,

3,035,783 of S. Furst, issued May 22, 1962,

3,057,577 of M. Ruhl, issued October 9, 1962, 3,061,216 of S. Furst et a1, issued October 30, 1962, 3,067,962 of S. Furst et al, issued December 11, 1962, 3,077,311, of S. Furst, issued February 12, 1963, 3,077,312 of S. Furst, issued February 12, 1963, 3,078,054 of S. Furst, issued February 19, 1963, and 3,092,340 of S. Furst, issued June 4, 1963.

When a yarn-supply coil, for example a spinning cop, becomes exhausted in a winding station, or when a yarn break occurs in a winding station, this station discontinues its winding operation and when the servicing unit with the knotter, during the relative travel mentioned above, is located in proper position, the respective yarn ends from the supply coil or a newly inserted supply coil on the one hand and from the take-up spool on the other hand are seized and placed into the knotter which then ties them together. After tightening of the knot, the knotted yarn becomes tautened as soon as the takeup spool commences rotating to continue the winding operation, and the yarn is thus pulled out of the knotter, whereafter the relative travel between servicing unit and winding station continues. However, if during the operation just described a yarn end is not placed, or not properly placed, into the knotter, the yarn ends are not tied together and the yarn cannot be pulled out of the knotter. This applies also in the event that the knot is dissolved during the subsequent testing for strength or if the yarn is torn at a faulty spot. When in such cases the relative travel motion of the knotter with respect to the winding station continues, the yarn contained in the knotter is pulled out of the knotter in most cases. However, it may happen that the loose yarn end (most often the end of the lower yarn coming from the supply coil, but in some cases also the upper yarn end coming from the take-up spool) becomes caught in the knotter. The relative travel between winding stations and knotter then has the eiiect of pulling the yarn from the coil or spool and to pass it along to the other winding stations. This so-called dragging or trailing thread is apt to be caught by the yarn running onto the take-up spool in other winding stations, or it may become knotted together during the next operation of the knotter with the yarn in another winding station and may then be Wound onto the take-up spool of this other station.

It is known to provide the winding station with a device that permits only an adjustable number of knotting attempts, whereafter the winding station is switched off and the relative travel between knotter and the winding stations again commences. In this case, there may also occur a dragging thread if yarn remainders are caught in the knotter.

It will be understood from the foregoing explanations that the present invention is of advantage not only for automatic winding machines in which each winding Patent No. 3,030,040 of W. Reiners, issued April 17, 1962.

The testing device for supervising the strength of the knotted yarn may consist of a tensioning member which abuts against a properly knotted yarn and to which a releasing member for controlling the above-mentioned discharging device is connected. In winding machines having a group of winding stations and a knotting device capable of relative travel motion with respect to each other, the strength testing device can be mounted either on a stationary part or on a travelling portion of the winding machine.

According to another, more specific feature of my invention, the discharging means for removing yarn out of the knotter comprise a clamping device and/or a severing device which is actuable by the above-mentioned releasing member. This clamping device is preferably mounted so that it is engageable with yarn portions protruding out of the knotter in order to seize these yarn portions and remove them mechanically from the knotter. According to another embodiment of the invention, however, a yarn-severing device is mounted in the vicinity of the knotter, and the removal of the severed yarn portions from the knotter is effected pneumatically by means of a nozzle located between the severing device and the knotter for providing an air current acting upon the residual yarn portions. The nozzle is preferably designed as a suction nozzle so that yarn residues removed from the knotter cannot adhere to other parts of the winding machine where they could possibly cause trouble.

The above-mentioned and other objects, advantages and features of my invention, said features being set forth with particularity in the claims annexed hereto, will be apparent from, and will be mentioned in, the following with reference to the embodiment of apparatus according to the invention illustrated by way of example on the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate schematically in cross-section respectively different positions of the tappet member of FIG. 3 during different conditions of the knotting operation.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a knotting device with associated components.

FIG. 4 shows in enlarged view a fishermans knot of FIG. 1 performed by the device of FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 shows a so-called fishermans knot which comes about after the two individual knots are tightened together as shown in FIG. 1 by upward motion of a tappet 5 in the direction of the arrow 5'. The two yarn ends 1 and 2 are clamped in respective clamps 3 and 4. The spring-loaded tappet 5 can move upward relative to FIG. 1 until the two individual knots at the respective ends are fully tightened together. Further travel of the tappet 5 is then prevented by the yarn ends 1 and 2 now knotted together.

The principle involved in tying a fishermans knot of this type is further described in Patent No. 2,985,599 of S. Furst, and in application Serial No. 159,197 of Gregor Gebald et al., filed May 17, 1961, now Patent No. 3,110,- 511, issued November 12, 1963. In a knot of this type, each of the two yarn ends to be tied together is first given a simple individual knot through whose loop the other yarn end can glide. Since each yarn end has its own knot, the two knots can move toward each other during tightening of the loops until they touch each other and then prevent each other from gliding out of the loop of the adjacent yarn end. The two tie beaks 12, 13 (FIG. 3) serve to tension the yarn ends after the individual knots are formed. Thereafter the tie beaks loosen and release the respective yarn ends. Such release takes place after the individual knots are formed but before they are tightened together. The knotter is provided with a tensioning'anem ber or tappet 5 which moves on a straight line between the two tie beaks 12, 13. The member 5 acts upon the yarn portions located be- L2. tween the tightened individual knots and tests the knotted tie.

FIG. 2 shows the conditions occurring during the same upward travel of tappet 5 when the yarn end 2 is missing. In this case, the tappet 5 is not impeded, so that it performs a longer stroke than during the proper knotting operation according to PEG. 1.

The device shown in FIG. 3 produces a fishermans knot in accordance with the above described principle of FIG. 1. The knotter is actuatedby two rotatable cam discs 6 and 7 firmly mounted on a drive shaft 6. During each knotting operation, the shaft 6' with the two cams performs a single full rotation in the clockwise direction indicated by an arrow 22. A follower arm 8, pivoted at 8', rests against the cam 6 and is rigidly joined with a gear segment 9, biased clockwise about its pivot 8' by a spring 9a, and which meshes witha gear 10, the two gears 9 and being angularly related to each other. The gear 1% is mounted .on a tubular shaft 23 which carries a cup-shaped gear 11. The cup gear 11 meshes with respective pinions coaxially joined with the tie beaks 12 and 13 so that rotation of gear 11 causes a corresponding rotation of the two beaks.

The cam 7 is engaged by a follower pin 15 which is mounted in a bore of an angular lever 14 and braced against the lever through a helical spring 24. Linked to the upper end of the angular lever 14 is tappet 5 corresponding to the tappet 5 in FIG. 1. The lower end of lever 14 carries an electric contact 16 cooperating with a fixed contact 17. An electromagnet or solenoid 18 has its energizing circuit connected to a current source 25 in series with the contacts 16 and 17. The armature 19v of magnet 18 is connected to one leg 21) of a yarnsevering device, here designed as a scissors-type cutter 219, 27. The other leg 27 of the cutter is fixed. The movable leg 211 of the cutter is normally held in open position by means of a spring 26 fastened at its remote end to fixed arm 26a on the knotter housing 26]). An air suction nozzle 21 has its intake orifice 21a located above the severing device 21), 27 near the normal path of the yarn end 1 that extends from below, namely from the supply coil (not shown), to the active portion of the knotting device.

The yarn end 2 coming from above, namely from the take-up spool (not shown), is also shown'placed into the active portion of the knotting device.

Rotation of the cam disc 6 in the direction of the arrow 22 causes the follower arm 8 and the segment 9 to turn the gear 10 with the tubular shaft 23 and the cup gear 11 so as to actuate the tie beaks 12 and 13, which then entrain the two yarn ends 2 and 1 respectively in the knotterand form the fishermans knot. The cam 7 rotates simultaneously with the cam 6. The follower pin 15 thus acts through the spring 24 upon the angular lever 14 and moves the tappet 5 during and after formation of the knot in the direction of the arrow 5'.

If a proper knot has thus been formed, the bifurcated end of the tappet 5 can abut against the yarn ends 1 and 2 which are now firmly tied together, and the residual upward motion of the follower pin 15 is then taken up by compression of the spring 24. However, if the knot is faulty or if one of the two yarn ends 1, 2 is missing, as in FIG. 2, then the tappet 5 does not meet any resistance and can move toward the left into the outermost position illustrated by dot and dash lines, corresponding to the position of FIG. 2. In this case, the angular lever 14- will move through a correspondingly wider angle, counterclockwise about its pivot 14a, and thereby close the electric circuit between the contacts 16 and 17. This energizes the magnet 18 from the current source 25. The armature 19 is attracted and moves downwardly, causing the scissors member 21) to move clockwise against the member 27, thus cutting the yarn end 1.

The suction nozzle 21 is connected to a source of negative pressure S which is effective during the operation of the knotting device. Consequently, after the yarn end is cut off, the nozzle 21 inducts the residual yarn portion of yarn end 1, between the beak 13 and the scissors, and pulls it away from the knotter and into the opening 21a of the nozzle duct 21. As a result, the formation of any dragging thread during the subsequent relative motion between winding station and knotter is prevented.

If desired, a valve may be provided in the suction duct for nozzle 21 and may remain closed until the member 20 of the severing device is actuated. shown at 31 in FIG. 3. The valve member is illustrated in closed position and provided with an actuator arm 32 which is connected with the armature 33 of another electromagnet 34 connected in parallel relation to the magnet 18. When the magnet 18 is energized, the magnet 34 is simultaneously energized and causes the valve arm 32 to turn the valve member 31 counterclockwise to open position. When the energizing circuit for the two valves is subsequently de-energized by opening of the contacts 16, 17, a spring (not illustrated) returns the valve member 3 1 to the illustrated closed position.

It will be understood that the forward Y-shaped portion of the tappet 5 operates as a testing device for supervising the strength of the knot and that it is in operative connection, through arm 14, .with a releasing member constituted by the electric contacts 16, 17 which initiate the elimination of yarn from the knotter, such as by cutting and sucking or blowing away the residual yarn end, if the tested strength of the knotted yarn is insufiicient and thus indicative of a faulty knot or the absence of a yarn end.

However, for the purpose of the invention, the strengthtesting device need not necessarily consist of a tappet mounted within the knotter itself. If desired, other strength-testing devices are likewise applicable which, for example, exert a corresponding pulling or pushing force upon the yarn ends emerging from the knotter at a location outside of the knotting device. For example, the above-described clamping device 3, 4 may simultaneously serve as a device for testing the strength of the knotted yarn.

The apparatus described in the foregoing is provided with only one severing device 20, 27 for eliminating the occurrence of dragging threads that may originate from the yarn end coming from below, namely from the supply coil. However, when certain textile materials are being processed, there is the danger that dragging threads might also result from the upper yarn end 2, namely from the one coming from the take-up spool. In such cases, a second severing device (not shown) is preferably located above the knotter in a manner analogous to the arrangement shown in FIG. 3, and the second severing device may then be controlled by the same releasing means, namely the contacts 16, 17, for example, with the aid of another electromagnet connected to the same electric circuit and another suction nozzle analogous to nozzle 21. Furthermore, the releasing device, as exemplified by contacts 16, 17 and the appertaining electric circuit, may be used for actuating a counting device 35 which permits an adjusted number of knotting attempts or knotting failures per winding station and which performs a switching operation through relay R to close the circuit of the carriage motor M when the adjusted maximum number of the counter 35 is exceeded in order to thereby initiate the continuance of the relative travel motion between knotter carriage and winding stations. The carriage and winding stations are more fully shown and described, for example, in Patents No. 3,033,478, No. 3,077,311 and No. 3,078,- 054 of S. Furst. Reference may also be had to copending application Serial No. 307,077, filed September 6, 1963, of Raasch and Gith, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, for further details of a control or measuring device.

Instead of severing the yarn by means of scissors Such a valve is blades, a yarn clamping device, as mentioned, may be provided, with clamping jaws at 20 and 27 of FIG. 3,

since it is sometimes unnecessary for the yarn to be' severed, but rather, it may be sufiicient to clamp the'yarn at this location, so that only the portion 1 of yarn above the clamping device is entrained by the suction nozzle 21 and removed from the knotter.

It should also be understood that the invention is not limited to knotting or tie-forming devices of the type illustrated, but can also be employed in conjunction with tying devices operating by means of adhesives or by welding or fusing of synthetic thread materials or other kinds of joining yarn ends together.

Upon a study of this disclosure, it will thus be apparent to those skilled in the art that my invention permits of a variety of modifications, and can be given embodiments other than as particularly illustrated and described herein, without departing from the essential features of my invention and within the scope of the claims annexed hereto.

I claim:

. 1. A knotter mechanism for knotting two yarn ends together, comprising a strength-testing device for clamping and tensioning the knotted yarn ends, said device being movable to a responded condition upon encountering insufficient strength of the knotted yarn, discharge means for eliminating yarn portions, and releasing means connected with said strength-testing device for actuating said discharge means when said strength-testing device moves to said responded condition, said discharge means comprising a yarn-severing device for severing said yarn portions, said severing device being connected to and actuableby said releasing means.

2. A knotter mechanism for knotting two yarn ends together, comprising a strength-testing device for clamping and tensioning the knotted yarn ends, said device being movable to a responded condition upon encountering insufficient strength of the knotted yarn, discharge means for eliminating yarn portions, and releasing means connected with said strength-testing device for actuating said discharge means when said strength-testing device moves to said responded condition, said strength-testing device comprising a tensioning member movable into abutting position against a properly knotted yarn, said responded condition being displacement of said member to another position beyond said abutting position, said releasing means being connected with said tensioning member for said actuating of said discharge device, said discharge means comprising a yarn-severing device for severing said yarn portions, said severing device being connected to and actuable by said releasing means, said discharge means comprising a nozzle having an orifice located adjacent said severing device for producing an air current acting upon the yarn portion to be eliminated.

3. A mechanism according to claim 2, said nozzle having means for connecting it to a source of negative pressure to create suction in said nozzle.

4. A knotter mechanism for knotting two yarn ends together, comprising a strength-testing device for clamping and tensioning the knotted yarn ends, said device being movable to 21 responded condition upon encountering insufficient strength of the knotted yarn, discharge means for eliminating yarn portions, and releasing means connected with said strength-testing device for actuating said discharge means when said strength-testing device moves to said responded condition, said discharge means comprising a yarn-severing device for severing said yarn pord to activate the latter in dependence upon said tensioning member moving into said responded condition.

5. A knotter mechanism for knotting two yarn ends together, comprising a strength testing device for clamping and tensioning the knotted yarn ends, said device being movable to a responded condition upon encountering insuflicient strength of the knotted yarn, discharge means for eliminating yarn portions, and releasing means con nected with said strength-testing device for actuating said discharge means when said strength-testing device moves to said responded condition, said discharge means comprising a yarn-severing device for severing said yarn portions, said severing device being connected to and actuable by said releasing means, said yarn severing device comprising a scissors having a movable leg, said releasing means comprising a solenoid armature connected to said movable scissors leg, a solenoid magnet for imparting motion to said armature, and switching means associated with said tensioning member, and an energizing circuit connecting said switching means with said magnet to activate the latter in dependence upon said tensioning mem ber moving into said responded condition, said discharge means comprising a suction nozzle located between said severing device and said tensioning member for producing a suction air current acting upon the yarn portion to be eliminated, valve means having a shut-ofi member associated with said suction nozzle, and valve actuating means connected into said energizing circuit for opening said shut-off member so as to apply a suction current to said nozzle when said tensioning member moves into said responded condition.

6. A knotter mechanism for knotting two yarn ends together, comprising a strength-testing device for clamping and tensioning the knotted yarn ends, said device being movable to a responded condition upon encountering insuflicient strength of the knotted yarn, discharge means for eliminating yarn portions, and releasing means connected With said strength-testing device for actuating said discharge means when said strength-testing device moves to.said responded condition, said discharge means comprising a yarn-severing device for severing said yarn portions, said severing device being connected to and actuable by said releasing means, said yarn severing device comprising a scissors having a movable leg, said releasing means comprising a solenoid armature connected to said movable scissors leg, a solenoid magnet for imparting motion to said armature, and switching means associated with said tensioning member, and an energizing circuit connecting said switching means with said magnet to activate the latter in dependence upon said tensioning member moving into said responded condition, said energizing circuit being provided with a counting device -for counting the actuations of said switching means, motor means for providing relative travel motion between said knotter and a plurality of winding stations, and relay means connecting said counting device with said motor means for actuating said motor means when a predetermined maximum number is exceeded in said counting device.

'7. A knotter mechanism for knotting two yarn ends together, comprising a strength-testing device for clamping and tensioning the knotted yarn ends, said device being movable to a responded condition upon encountering insuflicient strength of the knotted yarn, discharge means for eliminating yarn portions from said strengthtesting device, and releasing means connected with said strength-testing device for actuating said discharge means when said strength-testing device moves to said re sponded condition, said discharge means comprising a yarn clamping device engageable with one of said yarn portions, said clamping device being connected to and actuable by said releasing means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,732,611 1/56 Planer 28-64 2,981,559 4/61 Furst 2895 DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A KNOTTER MECHANISM FOR KNOTTING TWO YARN ENDS TOGETHER, COMPRISING A STRENGTH-TESTING DEVICE FOR CLAMPING AND TENSIONING THE KNOTTED YARN ENDS, SAID DEVICE BEING MOVABLE TO A RESPONDED CONDITION UPON ENCOUNTERING INSUFFICIENT STRENGTH OF THE KNOTTED YARN, DISCHARGE MEANS FOR ELIMINATING YARN PORTIONS, AND RELEASING MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID STRENGTH-TESTING DEVICE FOR ACTUATING SAID DISCHARGE MEANS WHEN SAID STRENGTH-TESTING DEVICE MOVES TO SAID RESPONDED CONDITION, SAID DISCHARGE MEANS COMPRISING A YARN-SEVERING DEVICE FOR SEVERING SAID YARN PORTIONS, SAID SEVERING DEVICE BEING CONNECTED TO AND ACTUABLE BY SAID RELEASING MEANS. 